Blood Feud
by BeepKeeper
Summary: Blood Feud: Set in third year Dobby helps Sirius Black improve Harry's year at Hogwarts. Elves capture Wormtail & Sirius plans to spend Yule with his godson. But dementors attack students as they queue for Hogwarts Express. Six students are kissed. Seeking justice Sirius declares blood feud against Fudge & Dumbledore. Others fall in Black vengeance Snape, Umbridge & Weasleys


Blood Feud: Set in third year Dobby helps Sirius Black improve Harry's year at Hogwarts. Elves capture Wormtail & Sirius plans to spend Yule with his godson. But dementors attack students as they queue for Hogwarts Express. Six students are kissed. Seeking justice Sirius declares blood feud against Fudge & Dumbledore. Others fall in Black vengeance Snape, Umbridge & Weasleys

This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy.

No pairings.

 **Printed Word in letters and newspapers.**

{Parsel tongue conversation}

Scene: Young Lord Black (June 2094)

The door of No.12 Grimmauld Place opened slowly. The new Lord Black stood on the threshold for a long minute before he stepped inside the house for the first time in many years. A decrepit house elf appeared and bowed, "Be welcome to No.12 Grimmauld Place, Lord Black. I's be Kreature."

The wizard looked sceptical and the elf quickly explained, "I's be the third elf of this name to serve House Black in No.12."

The young man nodded his head and said, "I came to speak with the portraits of Sirius Black and Harry Potter."

The little elf nodded his head and led the young wizard up the flight of stairs to the landing on the first floor. The portrait of Walburga Black was a family legend but it was long gone – his grandfather would never stand for a portrait to yell and abuse visitors and family members alike. At the top of the stairs, there were straight chairs for visitors to sit while conversing with the late 'Lords Black'. The portraits of Phineas Black, Arcturus Black, Sirius Black, and Harry Potter-Black were all awake and waiting.

Fleamont Black glanced at the sleeping portrait of his father; six weeks earlier, Oliver Black had died in a spell misfire of his own making in his laboratory. Fleamont was only forty-two and hadn't expected to become Lord Black for another thirty years. His wife, Laura Black nee Scamander was very supportive but thus far, his mother opposed all suggestions that she move to the dower house. Lady Arabella Black nee Sprout did not wish to relinquish her role as a leading lady of Magical Britain society.

"Lords Black, young Lord Fleamont Black comes before you," Kreature announced before he popped away, leaving the young wizard under the gaze of the four portraits.

"Welcome Fleamont," Harry called in greeting. The portrait smiled at his grandson and relieved many of the wizard's fears. Fleamont's grandfather had been a loving man to all his children, grandchildren, and their children.

"Has Father's portrait awakened yet?" Fleamont asked.

"It will be some time before Magic allows him to awaken," Sirius Black announced. "A sudden death causes the soul confusion and Oliver will need time to reconcile his end before his portrait awakens."

Arcturus and Phineas remained silent – they'd only met this young lord a few times before – Harry kept all the family portraits under strict control while his children were growing up and Oliver continued the practice with his own children.

"How can we advise you today, Fleamont?" asked Harry.

"I believe that No.12 is a façade," the young lord said. "I think it played a role in the disappearance of Albus Dumbledore a hundred years ago. At Hogwarts, his portrait has never awakened and I believe that means he is not dead."

"Entirely too smart!" Sirius quipped from his portrait and Harry nodded in agreement.

"What is the truth of the disappearance of Albus Dumbledore?" asked Fleamont Black, the new Lord Black.

"He 'is' a shining star," Phineas smirked from his portrait. "Shame he is stuck with a Potter name instead of a star."

Sirius frowned at his great-grandfather's portrait and the former headmaster of Hogwarts shivered, bowed his head, and fell asleep.

"My father never excelled at politics," Arcturus explained from his frame. "If you need advice on how to ruin a school, speak to him. Otherwise, he's a good spy on the headmaster or headmistress at Hogwarts."

Sirius called for Kreature to return and when the little elf popped into the room, the portrait instructed the elf to move both Phineas and Arcturus to the afternoon lounge. When the elf returned, Harry suggested that the elf provide a more comfortable chair and a tea tray for his grandson.

"No fire whiskey, Grandfather?" Fleamont asked.

"Not this early in the conversation," Harry replied from his portrait frame.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Scene: Sirius and Dobby (October 1993)

The cold October rain around Hogsmeade drove all the wizards and witches inside that Tuesday morning. In an out-of-the-way portion of the forest, a large black dog shivered underneath the evergreens. With no eyes on him, the dog slipped through the woods toward a cave he remembered from his years at Hogwarts.

Unseen, a house elf popped silently about the forest, looking for his Harry Potter's dogfather. The young wizard didn't know who to ask for help – professors and the headmaster were as unwilling to help him as the teachers at the elementary school. His 'friends' kept him isolated and used guilt and threats of desertion to keep him close to them in Gryffindor.

When the Boy-Who-Lived freed Dobby the previous year, the grateful elf decided to return the favour. First, Dobby studied Harry's professors, friends, and family. Using elf magic, he nudged the friends away enough to let Harry learn and breath, then the elf confounded the muggle relatives – they generally ignored the young wizard and allowed him to eat and study last summer without demanding excessive chores. It had been a restful summer for Dobby's friend but the return to Hogwarts began with the visit by the dementor on the Hogwarts Express, and the stories in the Daily Prophet about the mad killer Sirius Black coming to Hogwarts to kill Harry.

The loyal house elf read the Daily Prophet and knew that if this wizard was Harry Potter's godfather, the wizard could not harm Dobby's young wizard. The elf determined to find the 'dogfather' and see if the wizard could help the young wizard.

The dog slipped into the cave, shook off as much rain water as possible from his fur, and then sought a spot with fewer rocks to settle down for a nap. He'd barely turned around three times before a house elf popped into the cave.

"Is you Mr. Harry Potter's dogfather?" the elf asked, standing a fair distance from the dog. The animal froze for a moment only before it growled and rose to its feet before the elf popped away.

The dog sniffed the air carefully, his ears perked up as the elf popped back into the cave and asked, "Sirius Blacks? I be Dobby and I seeks help for Harry Potters."

This time the dog sat still and didn't growl, so the elf sat on the ground and continued, "Harry Potter be sad, hungry, and worked like house elf many years. Then he comes to Hoggiewarts where he's be cursed, yelled at by Potions Poser, and lied to by Whiskers."

The dog grew bright for a moment and suddenly, a gaunt, filthy wizard stood on shaking legs in the cave. Dobby snapped his fingers and warm, comfortable chair appeared behind the man who collapsed into it. The elf popped away and then back with two other elves with arms full of potion bottles, a bath tub, towels and soap. When the three elves were through, Sirius Black had soaked in a tub of hot water, been scrubbed clean, filled with healing potions, and put to bed in a sleeping bag that would keep him warm.

In the morning, Sirius woke slowly – wondering which reality was the dream – the nightmare of Azkaban or the soft, warm sleeping bag. He rose from the bed just as the house elf appeared again, with breakfast on a tray that was set on a magical table.

Seated in magical chair, Sirius began to eat only for the elf to interrupt him, "Dobby says to eat slowly, Mr. Harry Potter's dogfather! Eat slowly or Dobby has to clean nice breakfast off floor!"

Nodding his head, Sirius ate slowly and enjoyed each morsel of food. During the meal, the elf informed the wizard about his godson, his clothing, his weight, scars and horrible glasses. After breakfast, Dobby popped out and then back with robes and a dozen wands.

"What's this?" the wizard asked.

"Dobby gets clothes and wands from Come-and-Go Room. They's be old, but clean and warm. Wands get left here by dead professors and headmasters in a thousand years; pick one that works for dogfather," the elf said handing over the items.

Sirius took his time examining the wands and found two that were responsive. He explained about wand holsters and the reason for having two wands; Dobby grew excited and popped out for almost an hour. He returned with new wand holsters to Sirius to place on his left and right wrists.

"Where did you get these Dobby? They're brilliant!"

"Dobby knows where galleons are in Come-and-Go Room, so I gets some and goes to Hogsmeade. There be shop with leather belts, bootlaces and wand holsters."

"Thank you!" the wizard said and he practiced using each wand to transfigure rocks into furniture, cast a shield over the cave entrance and substantial 'notice-me-not' spells on the area.

Dobby returned with supper for the wizard and news from the castle about Harry's lessons in transfiguration and charms. The wizard made suggestions for books to place in Harry's back pack with book marks at the appropriate chapters. He wrote notes for Dobby to place in Harry's pockets, and had the house elf purchase chocolates to leave for Harry at night.

Over the next month, Sirius made several suggestions to Dobby about more books for Harry to help him in potions and history. The history texts were more interesting than the book assigned for the class and the potions guide told the young wizard how to blend the ingredients properly. Sirius also gave Dobby specific spells to teach the young wizard.

"If his friend Ron is just using him for homework, teach Harry this spell," Sirius told Dobby. "Ron's spell copies the essay in his own handwriting but this spell makes it all disappear about an hour later… except for the git's name at the top or bottom of the page. This fake friend will think he did the spell wrong and just turned in a blank sheet of parchment."

+)(*&^&*)(+

Scene: Helping Harry (December 1993)

In the two months that Sirius and Dobby worked together to help Harry, the teenager found his confidence and made new friends while managing to hold Ron and Hermione at arm's length. The house elf distracted the muggleborn witch successfully with several books on obscure spells and potion theory that kept her attention in the evenings.

Dobby found girls with crushes on Ron Weasley and arranged 'dates' for the red-headed boy with a sixteen-year-old girl who thought Ron was 'cute'. Sirius wrote notes for Dobby to leave in the pockets of the girls that purported to be from Ron – starry eyed girls certainly distracted the thirteen-year-old wizard from following Harry about. The third-year wizard thought he was in Avalon when he finally returned to the Gryffindor tower at night.

The headmaster was concerned that Harry spent too much time with Neville Longbottom and girls from Hufflepuff rather than with Weasley and Granger, but McGonagall was pleased with everyone's grades and behaviour – she ran interference for once and kept 'Whiskers' at bay.

+)(*&^&*)(+

On cold December night, Sirius told a tale of betrayal to the faithful house elf. "Dobby, I am here to capture the rat who betrayed us! James and Lily died, I went to prison and Harry went to… to his own prison because of that rat."

"Who is rat?" asked the elf and Sirius explained about seeing the photo of the Weasleys in Egypt and the appearance of Wormtail out of Ron's pocket in the photo.

"The nasty Scabbers be wizard in polyjuice pants?" asked the confused elf.

"No, he's an animagus, like me. I turn into a grim and Peter Pettigrew turns into a rat. Harry's father would turn into a stag we named 'Prongs' for his antlers."

"Scabbers be a nasty rat," Dobby replied. 

Sirius was quiet for a moment but finally asked, "Dobby, will you be my house elf?"

"Dobby's sorry, Mr. Dogfather," the elf bowed. "I has a great master."

"Who is your master?"

The elf pulled his ears in distress for a moment but admitted, "Dobby bondeds with Mr. Harry Potters last year. Mr. Whiskers tries to keep Dobby away from my Mr. Harry Potters but Hoggiewarts wants Dobby to help my Mr. Harry Potters. As you is his dogfather, Dobby is already your elf!"

"I am glad you are Harry's elf! Everything you do helps him!" Sirius ordered the elf. Then the wizard tilted his head to one side and inquired, "Who is Whiskers?"

The elf grimaced, "He's be long whiskers in Hoggiewarts Castle who eats lemons drops."

"Ah," Sirius replied once he understood the elf meant Dumbledore. "You should ignore orders from Mr. Whiskers!"

"Now, Dobby, go to the 'room' and find all the wands that might work for Harry. Take them to him and tell him to pick out a second wand. Make certain you get him wrist holders too."

+)(*&^&*)(+

There was a mysterious note in his pocket after dinner that evening that drew Harry away from the other third-year Gryffindors and to an abandoned classroom. There he met with Dobby who had a handful of wands.

"Mr. Harry Potters be finding a second wand!"

"A second wand, Dobby? Why?"

The elf lectured the young wizard clearly, "When wizards duelses, if you loses your wand, you die. With second wand, Harry Potter can surprize bad wizard with more spells and win duelses."

The teenager tried each wand but it wasn't until he'd taken a carved, dark wand, into his left hand that he found a wand that interested him. He 'knew' the wand was made of oak and basilisk venom – a dangerous combination in the hands of anyone but a wizard who had basilisk venom in his veins.

As he handed two wrist holders to his Harry Potter, Dobby grinned from ear-to-ear, "That's be powerfulest wand Dobby sees in many years!"

Harry was distracted by the second wand for a week – the oak and basilisk venom wand was very old and in his research, he discovered it was possibly the wand of Salazar Slytherin himself. It only worked for Harry when it was in his left hand and he found himself 'double-casting' on occasion when he was alone and practicing defensive and offensive spells at the same time. The wrist holders were brilliant; they allowed him to flick a wrist and bring his wands into instant readiness.

In the DADA class, Professor Lupin insisted that the students who could master the spell learn to cast the patronus. In the third year, several students could cast the white mist to form a shield that would keep the dementors at bay but Harry was the only student in the third years who could create the patronus – and his was a corporal stag that glittered and danced. Malfoy, Ron, and Hermione were jealous of the young teen's success but they remained silent after Lupin awarded him fifty points for successfully casting the spell.

During private tutoring lessons, Harry used parseltongue with the 'Slytherin' wand and produced a corporal basilisk patronus that filled the entire castle with good cheer. Remus cried with joy to hear Harry's story of mysterious notes and his helpful elf.

+)(*&^&*)(+

One morning when Dobby arrived with breakfast for Lord Black, the elf informed the animagus, "There's be an old elf waiting outside the caves for Mr. Lord Black."

Sirius strolled outside and found Kreature, the elf from his hated childhood home, sitting in the cold.

"Lord Black is worthless blood traitor but Kreature must serve! Lords Arcturus Black be dead and magics demand new Lord Black be… be you," the little elf managed to say clearly.

"Come inside Kreature and get warm. Dobby is the head elf for the Black family and the Potter family so you will take orders from him," Sirius said with a commanding tone that the old elf recognized. The two elves stared at each other for a long moment, before Dobby reached over and laid his hand on Kreature's head.

"We's serve Lord Black and Heir Potter-Black!" Dobby insisted and the old house elf was forced to nod in agreement. "No ones be allowed to harm them!"

+)(*&^&*)(+

Scene: Capture Wormtail (December 1993)

Harry hid in an unused classroom, working on an essay for history class. Ron wanted to copy Harry's work and Hermione wanted to 'correct' it so the young wizard learned to slip away from his two friends to complete homework and hide it in his backpack. He made duplicates and left them where Ron and Hermione could find them – Ron often turned in a copy of Harry's work as his own. Hermione loved to write notes all over Harry's essays with suggestions and 'corrections' but the Boy-Who-Lived learned to use decoys and distract his friends.

There was a pop in the room as Dobby appeared. Harry smiled and noticed that the elf was casting spells all over room, quickly and effortlessly.

"Hi Dobby, how are you this evening?"

"Dobby is great, Mr. Harry Potters, sir. But let Dobby make certain no ones can hear us speakings for the next few minutes," the little elf said.

"Is someone listening to me?" Harry asked and the elf pointed toward a landscape painting on the wall.

"There's be three wizards in the painting who listen to Mr. Harry Potter's study hall every night. They reports to Mr. Whiskers how much you works and what you says…"

Harry frowned, pulled out his Slytherin wand and walked up to the painting. He hissed, {Forget! Sleep until I tell you to wake.}

The teenager and the elf heard three thuds and the portraits of three wizards hiding in the woods in the painting fell out of the trees to land on the painted grass, lost in a deep, dreamless sleep.

The little house elf laughed, and Harry grinned.

"Dobby brings letter from Harry Potter's dogfather," the elf said, drawing out a letter Sirius had written. The boy opened the letter and read it carefully, not expressing any emotion until he'd read the letter twice. He recognized the handwriting from the many notes he'd received over past weeks.

"Where is this 'dogfather'?" Harry asked.

"He is hidden in caves near Hoggiewarts," Dobby explained. "He's come to save you from rat hiding in castle."

The young wizard nodded. "Sirius wrote that 'Wormtail' from his school days is Ron's pet rat that we call 'Scabbers'. This is the wizard who betrayed my Mom and Dad on the night the Dark Lord tried to kill me."

"Does dogfather have a plan?" asked Dobby.

Harry grinned. "Sirius writes that there's another elf – Kreature – who…"

The old elf popped into the room with a small but very sturdy cage in his hands.

"Kreature serves Heir Potter-Black," the elf said with a bow. "Nasty master Lord Sirius Black orders Kreature to find this cage in family library and brings it to young Heir Potter-Black to be prison for traitor rat."

Harry read the letter again…

 **We are family! I held you the night you were born and with the blessing of your father and mother, made you my own child, to love and protect. I failed you when the Dark Lord killed James and Lily but I will not fail you again, Harry!**

' _Family! I have family!'_ the boy realized. This news meant everything to Harry, and he felt it in his soul and magical core. He didn't care if his godfather was a mass murderer of muggles – the wizard loved his 'godson' and they were family.

Harry carefully packed up his real homework and the fake homework for Ron and Hermione. Since Dobby taught him the spell to make the stolen parchments turn back into blank sheets, he'd used it at least twice a week for each class and Ron's grades were last in the entire school now. But his 'friend' didn't seem to care and even the threat of expulsion for failing his exams didn't worry the red-head. Dobby also taught Harry a spell that clogged up Hermione's quills with the ink from Harry's papers. When she tried to clean the feather or trim it, the ink would shoot out and cover her hands and clothing.

"Sirius asks that you bring Scabbers to him as soon as possible," Harry replied. "Can you get him tonight and take him to the cave?"

Dobby does now," the elf said as he popped out and then back with the squirming rat in his hand. The rat struggled and tried to bite the Dobby; this infuriated Kreature who grabbed the rat by the ugly tail.

"Bad Wormtail!" Kreature fussed, slinging the rat against the wall twice until it lay still. Then the elf dropped the stunned rat into the cage and sealed the door.

"Did Ron see you take the rat?" Harry asked Dobby.

"Mr. Eats-Like-Pig be in water closet again when Dobby takes ugly, disgusting rat from his bed. He won't notice that rats be gone before morning."

Harry nodded. "Thank you, Dobby and Kreature. You are the best house elves in all Britain!"

Dobby grinned and bounced about, while Kreature was silent, staring at the teenager but then he bowed and said, "Dobby takes Wormtails to dogfather. We's be getting Mr. Sirius Blacks free. Kreature goes to find Mr. Harry Potters better clothes."

Once Dobby and Kreature popped out of the room, Harry walked passed the painting and hissed, {Wake with headaches and no memories of me tonight or any other night.}

+)(*&^&*)(+

In the cave, Sirius composed a long letter to Alistair Moody that asked the retired Auror to examine the rat in the cage as an animagus. He sent Dobby with the caged rat to find Moody in the Ministry of Magic.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Alistair Moody, on the verge of retirement, stared at the letter and then the cage with the chittering rat. He was furious at the injustice perpetrated by Crouch, Sr., Fudge, and Dumbledore on the young man that had been Sirius Black. He read the letter again.

 **This rat is an animagus of the wizard Peter Pettigrew. He is alive and that means I did not kill him! I didn't kill the muggles! This rat bears the Dark Lord's mark on his arm – he was the secret keeper who betrayed James and Lily Potters to the Dark Lord!**

 **Moody, I never had a trial – never the chance to speak in my defence. Surely Director Bones will want to see justice done rather than this tragedy. Tell her to convince Fudge to blame everything on the previous minister and Barny Crouch!**

+)(*&^&*)(+

It was two mornings later, during breakfast that Harry and all the students at Hogwarts learned several new curses. The majority of the students were leaving for the winter holidays immediately following the meal so the Great Hall was filled with students at all four tables. All the staff were present when the owls arrived with the Daily Prophet. The first owls landed at the staff table where Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape took their copies and began reading the headlines.

 **Allegations of False Imprisonment!**

 **Sirius Black to Receive Trial**

They barely had time to read the article before Snape screamed, "What the bloody hell is this?"

The potions master his copy of the paper underneath Dumbledore's face. The headmaster was pale as he read the paper and listened to Severus curse the air and the sky for allowing Sirius Black to escape the kiss.

"Severus, I am certain this is some wild story without foundation," Albus told his spy.

But it was the reaction from the deputy headmistress that caught everyone off guard. She handed her copy of the Daily Prophet to Flitwick and turned on Dumbledore.

"Wheesht! Ye blethering Sassenachs!" shouted McGonagall at Snape and Dumbledore. (Shut up! You blethering Englishmen!)

The diminutive professor grabbed McGonagall's paper and read the headlines that so infuriated the deputy headmistress. The students could only stare as the transfiguration professor pressed the tip of her wand into Dumbledore's cheek. When the headmaster's wand appeared in his hand, Flitwick cast expelliarmus and grabbed the funny wand from the air.

"I knew ye were a lying, worthless Sassenach for years but ignored ye… But one of ye own bairns went to Azkaban and ye could have stopped it! Ye worthless bod ceann, ye tolla-thon, I'll string ye up by ye beard for a dozen years and no one will deny it is but justice for Sirius Black!"

"No!" shouted Severus. "The damn Gryffindor won't be free! He can't…"

"Minerva, we should discuss this calmly," Albus said in a shaky voice. "But perhaps we should do so in my office…"

"Not bloody likely!" cursed the deputy headmistress as she wrapped her left hand in Dumbledore's beard and jerked him out of his chair. Severus prepared to defend the headmaster when Hagrid grabbed the potions professor's wand arm and then plucked the wand from the wizard's hand.

"We'll leave 'em to resolve their differences without your spells interfering," Hagrid told Severus and pushed the potions professor back into his chair while keeping a strong grip on the man's arm. The half-giant knew the potions professor most likely had a second wand on his person but would not be able to cast with his left hand, especially with his right arm still in the vise-like grip of the half-giant's hand.

"Sirius Black never had a trial back in 1982! Ye're the chief warlock – ye sign off on all trials and all sentences! Ye sent my Gryffindor to Azkaban without hearing him! Without a trial! Ye mhac na galla! No one will ever trust ye again! I'll see to that myself!"

With the flick of her wand, Minerva McGonagall cursed him, "Nathair breagha!" (Lying snake!)

Her spell cut off Dumbledore's beard and transfigured the long hairs into serpents that the angry witch threw at his head. The headmaster ducked and the mass of serpents disappeared.

"Stop! I am headmaster here!" he commanded and everyone in the Great Hall felt the battle as the headmaster attempted to keep control of the wards. He managed to wrestle control back from the castle and demanded the return of his wand from Flitwick. The half-goblin wizard stared at the headmaster for a long minute before handing over the strange wand.

Then the charms professor hurried to follow Minerva from the Great Hall – the students were leaving and they had to provide protection for the students traveling to the train station. The dementors lingered as close to the castle as possible.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Scene: Mourning Families (December 1993)

Harry remained at the Gryffindor table past the end of breakfast as the other students hurried to leave Hogwarts for the winter holidays – Yule in the traditional homes and Christmas in the muggle homes. He would remain at school and spend an afternoon or two with his godfather in the cave that the wizard and Dobby secured and decorated.

Harry's plan was to study his potions book and find his mistakes from last week. With an additional magnifying ingredient, his next potion explosion would leave Severus Snape in the infirmary for a month if the potions master didn't reform his teaching methods.

The Great Hall was quiet for a time but then Dobby popped in the hall and grabbed Harry's robes, crying, "Mr. Harry Potters, the nasty dementors… they be's attacking the children at the train station!"

Without pausing, Harry grabbed Dobby's hand and said, "Take me there!"

Dobby popped Harry to the pathway leading to the train station – a swarm of dementors were flying among the screaming and panicked children – Professor Flitwick's patronus drove a few dementors back, Professor Lupin battled with two of the monsters, but McGonagall was on the ground and her wand was nowhere in sight.

"Expecto Patronum!" yelled Harry with the memory of the letter from Sirius telling him they were family now and forever. The giant stag, glittering bright silver and solid erupted from the teenager's wand and charged into the mass of dementors. The hooves drove dementors to the ground while the antlers tore through the robes around the creatures and turned them into dust.

Flexing his left wrist, the spare wand in the holder on that arm flew into his hand and Harry cast in parseltongue, {Expecto Patronum!}

From this wand of oak and basilisk venom, a giant golden basilisk patronus roared forth to smash the dementors escaping from the giant stag. Harry stood with both wands extended, directing his pair of glittering creatures to destroy twenty dementors and drive the others from the air around Hogwarts.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Wounded and fearful, the surviving dementors returned to Azkaban and refused to leave the vicinity of the prison again. They would never visit the ministry, serve another Dark Lord, or move about Britain after the massacre at Hogwarts. Their numbers dwindled over the next century and in 2075, the last dementors died when Minister Cordelia Potter came to announce that Azkaban prison would close. Her whispered comments in parseltongue within hearing of one dementor sent the horde into a frenzy that culminated in their mass suicide that evening.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Once he was certain the attack was over, Flitwick summoned house elves to transport the injured children and Minerva to the infirmary, and he sent his patronus with a message to Alistair Moody in the ministry. Within three minutes, Aurors began appearing along the pathway as they apparated into Hogsmeade to help the children.

Six students had been kissed: Patsy Parkinson, Marietta Edgecombe, Zacharias Smith, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Draco Malfoy. Fourteen other children were injured by other students trying to escape the dementors; broken bones and concussions would keep Madam Pomphrey busy this morning.

"They look like they are asleep," Susan Bones whispered to Hannah Abbot as the survivors huddled inside the doors of Hogwarts. Once the injured were transported to the infirmary, the Aurors levitated the bodies of the kissed students with care and the other students stood silently watching the shrouded forms floating past. Flitwick ordered four of the seventh-year students to make certain the exhausted Harry Potter made it to the infirmary without any problems. The reporters from the Daily Prophet gathered outside but Professor Sprout guarded the front door faithfully and the elves had closed all the windows.

Dumbledore didn't appear for over an hour – he'd hidden in his office after the incident at breakfast; no spell would restore his beard and the hissing of snakes followed him everywhere.

Professor McGonagall was confined to the infirmary with a concussion – a dementor had knocked her to the ground where she'd hit her head.

As news spread at the Ministry and then Diagon Alley, parents apparated into the area or used the floo in Hogsmeade before they burst through the gates of Hogwarts and entered the castle demanding to collect their children. Amelia Bones arrived and held Susan close while directing Aurors in their duties about the castle. The Abbots gathered Hannah in their arms, and Augusta Longbottom smothered Neville for a moment. The arrival of Molly and Arthur Weasley was lost in the voices of others for once but they found all five of their children safe and alive.

With Aurors as escorts, the muggleborn students used the floo in McGonagall's office to travel to Platform 9¾ at Kings Cross to meet their parents.

The parents of the kissed – the dead students – began arriving. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Edgecombe, the Goyle and the Crabbe parents, and Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson entered Hogwarts to be led to the infirmary. No one in the Great Hall would hear their cries or see their tears.

The entrance hall fell silent when Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy arrived.

"What is the disaster here, today?" Lucius asked, his eyes catching the tears and hidden faces of the children hiding in their parent's shoulders. "We received a floo call to come to Hogwarts… Where is my son?"

"We must go to the infirmary," Dumbledore said. The headmaster remained aloof of other parents but descended from his office after the wards told him the Malfoys were on the grounds. Children and adults stepped out of the headmaster's way – there were serpents in his hair when anyone looked his way.

Narcissa Malfoy left Lucius and Dumbledore behind as she hurried up the staircase. If anyone had paid attention, they would have noticed that the castle locked the staircases in place this morning. Bursting through the doors of the infirmary, Narcissa quickly dismissed the beds with girls, and stepped around the beds holding the boys. She did not see Draco's face among the patients and she turned toward the matron.

"Where is my son?" she asked Poppy and the medi-witch swallowed but could not explain.

"Mrs. Malfoy, Draco is over here," Auror Proudfoot explained, motioning toward a screened off area where the shroud covered corpses lay. The body of a child ceased breathing quickly after the soul was were removed by the dementors. From his bed, Harry watched Draco's mother walk stiffly passed the beds of living children, and step behind the large screen.

A few moments later, Dumbledore led Lucius Malfoy into the infirmary, and the headmaster greeted the children as if it were a regular day. Harry again watched Lucius survey the children in the beds, looking for his son. Proudfoot approached the wizard and gently escorted him through the beds.

"Your wife will need you…" Harry heard the Auror tell the man whose face grew as pale as his hair.

Other parents stood next to cots with the shrouds pulled back. Lucius found his wife standing beside a cot where the shroud still covered the still form; it took an eternity or so it seemed to the wizard, to cross the room and touch her arm.

She glanced up at his face and said, "He can't be…"

He nodded and turned her in his arms where she wouldn't see their son's body. Lucius Malfoy carefully pulled the shroud back and uncovered the face of his son. There were burn marks around his lips where the dementor took Draco's soul. He knew his son suffered an agonizing death.

Returning the shroud over Draco's head, Lucius wrapped Narcissa in his arms but he knew she was lost in her grief. Himself, he hardly knew how to proceed.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Amelia Bones arrived in the infirmary shortly thereafter and forced Dumbledore to exit the chamber.

"No one needs to deal with the curse you bear," she informed the headmaster who looked surprized but could get no more information from the director as she pushed him out the door.

Then, Amelia asked Pomphrey to conjure stronger walls between the dead and injured to give the parents and patients more privacy. Another door was opened for the parents to leave without seeing the living students again.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Late in the day, the castle was quiet once more and with most of the students now departed for the holiday, the Great Hall was quiet again. Released from Madam Pomphrey's care, Harry escorted Professor McGonagall and Pomphrey to the hall for supper. When they stepped through the doors, Hagrid rose and hurried over to help the professors and student join the small gathering at the Hufflepuff table. Professor Sprout held court with Flitwick, three Claws, four Puffs, and Babbage; the only other inhabitants at the table for dinner tonight.

There was very little talk and Flitwick helped Harry deflect all questions about his defence of the students.

+)(*&^&*)(+

The headmaster wasn't seen for three days – the Daily Prophet reported the attack accurately but didn't highlight Harry's use of the patronus charm to protect the other students. There was more to report from the Wizegamot where the families of the dead students attempted to force the departure of Dumbledore, Fudge and every other official associated with the school and the dementors.

Aurors subdued Marietta Edgecombe's mother when the distraught witch physically attacked Cornelius Fudge in the ministry atrium. The parents of the other students had appealed to the ICW for help – Dumbledore as the Chief Warlock refused to allow the families to sue Cornelius or himself for negligence.

There were screams in the Wizegamot when Dumbledore arrived – he thought it was the lack of his lustrous beard that shocked the members but the Aurors whispered that the chief warlock had been cursed with a Medusa spell by McGonagall; any time he planned to lie, serpents appeared in the headmaster's hair.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Finally, the Daily Prophet reported the selfless act of bravery by the 'boy-who-lived' to protect his classmates at the train station. An interview with Remus Lupin and Minerva McGonagall accurately reported how determined Harry had been about mastering the difficult defensive spell.

 **Boy Who Lived Fights for Classmates**

 **This reporter from the Daily Prophet secured an interview with Remus Lupin, current DADA professor at Hogwarts. I asked him about the spell that Mr. Potter used to kill the dementors.**

" **Mr. Potter told me that he hears…" the popular DADA professor paused before he continued. "He can't be around the creatures without bad memories engulfing him. He casts two patronus spells – one in English and the second in parseltongue – and he guides the corporeal spirits around the room. His classmates reported that the stag trampled and threw dementors about on his antlers. And the basilisk rammed dementors and passed through others to dissolve them. Harry and his patronus animals killed twenty dementors – no one has ever killed a dementor before."**

 **Then a reporter for another publication asked, "Why didn't he cast the spell earlier? He could have saved the students who were kissed…"**

 **At that point in the interview, Assistant Headmistress Minerva McGonagall joined the interview and pressed her wand into the reporter's face, leaving an indentation in the woman's cheek.**

" **Mr. Potter wasn't leaving the castle for the holiday. As soon as he heard about the attack, he 'went' the train station! He placed his own life in danger to help the other students."**

 **To continue, Professor McGonagall said, "If you want to blame someone, blame Dumbledore for not being there to protect the students as they left! Blame Cornelius Fudge for posting the dementors around Hogwarts to begin with!"**

 **Professor Lupin ended the interview by saying, "If Harry hadn't come to their aide, none of the students would have survived!"**

+)(*&^&*)(+

The next morning, Dobby arrived with breakfast for Sirius Black and the elf informed the animagus, "Kreature waits outside the caves with a letter for Mr. Lord Black."

Sirius frowned but hurried outside to order Kreature to come inside.

"Nasty Lord Black, Kreature called by member of family to bring this letter! Black blood has been spilt without cause and the family demands justice," the little elf managed to say clearly.

"Come inside Kreature," Sirius said as he took the letter.

Returning to the cave where Dobby had his breakfast on the table, Sirius opened the letter and read it through before tackling the feast on the table. During the meal, his eyes kept coming back to the letter, and when he filled his tea cup for the last time, he lifted the letter once again.

+)(*&^&*)(+

 **Lord Black**

 **As a daughter of House Black, I appeal to you for justice for my child. My son was kissed by a dementor within sight of Hogwarts – a place reportedly the safest in Britain for our children's education. But Minister Cornelius Fudge decided to place the monsters known as dementors around the school to protect it from Sirius Black – a wizard who would never hurt a child! And Headmaster/Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore allowed this to be done. Now, these two cowards protect each other because the lives of the children were lost due to their actions.**

 **Please help me! The soul of my child was ripped from his body and is lost forever.**

 **Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black**

+)(*&^&*)(+

Sitting in his cave, Sirius reviewed the tear-stained letter and his conclusions. _'Cissi thinks that Grandfather is still alive and is Lord Black.'_

He glanced at the ring on his finger; a quick trip to Gringotts in the middle of the night made him 'Lord Black' with the power, the wealth and the responsibilities for the family. His cousin's son died – was killed wrongfully – by creatures that the ministry supposedly controlled.

' _Dumbledore is Chief Warlock – he can overrule Cornelius if he wants to,'_ the wizard remembered. _'He should have made certain that I had a trial for that matter!'_

Resolved, Sirius called for Dobby and Kreature. It was time for Lord Black to be heard. Sirius sent Dobby to the Black family vault to look for spell books with justice or vengeance spells listed in the contents. He sent Kreature to the family library at the hidden home at No.12 Grimmauld Place to search for the same type of books.

That afternoon, Sirius had a dozen books to review – eight from the library and four from the vault. He sat up late in the night until he found a particularly evil spell – imprisonment within a cell where time passed at varying speeds, without change of day and night – captives could live for a century or more beyond their normal life span with delivery of simple food and drink.

"Kreature!" Sirius called out about midnight. Dobby and Kreature both appeared before Lord Black in the well-appointed cave outside Hogsmeade.

"Lord Black calls for Kreature?"

"Tell me if any cells in No.12 are occupied," Sirius ordered. "Does the kitchen prepare food for any prisoners?"

Kreature bowed and said, "When Kreature was young, there were three wizards and witches in cells at No.12. They's be ancient and finally dies in last thirty years. The Black spells turns their bodies into mummies we shrink and hang in the attics."

"How long were they there?"

Kreature shrugged, "About one hundred years. They's be imprisoned by Lord Castor Black before he dies in 1850s."

"Did anyone know they were there?"

The elf nodded, "Lord Arcturus Black asks Kreature abouts them twice. When Regulus disappears, Lord Black angry and he tries to send Tom Riddles to cell but Riddles crazy and never uses spell to be captured."

"Tell me how this works," Sirius instructed the elf.

+)(*&^&*)(+

On the third morning after the attack, the Daily Prophet reported the correction of the grave miscarriage of justice. The mass murderer Sirius Black was an innocent man! Peter Pettigrew was alive and had been captured while masquerading as a rat.

Director Bones held a public trial with the members of the Wizegamot without the presence of Minister Fudge or Chief Warlock Dumbledore. With the vertasium induced testimony of the traitor Pettigrew, the Wizegamot ordered all charges against Sirius Black dropped, cancelled the 'kiss-on-sight' order, and allowed the notion that Black could sue the officials responsible for his false-incarceration (Dumbledore, Fudge, and Crouch). They condemned Peter Pettigrew to the veil in the Department of Mysteries and the broken wizard was led away in chains for the sentence to be carried out immediately.

+)(*&^&*)(+

 **Daughter of House Black**

 **Cissi**

 **Lord Black hears your plea. Know that the family magic will be brought to bear against Fudge, Dumbledore and anyone else who contributed to the needless death of your son. We shall have our blood feud with the enemies of House Black.**

 **We shall move in the night and these wizards will experience long, painful punishments knowing that they wronged House Black.**

 **Reach out to Andromeda – we must reunite the family.**

 **Sirius, Lord Black**

+)(*&^&*)(+

Narcissa Black sat alone in her private lounge, reading the letter from her cousin. With the threaten the 'kiss-on-site' order rescinded, the new Lord Black could come out in society. As 'Lord Black', his power in the family magics would be unchallenged and she'd see the wizards who allowed her son to die would be punished.

For a moment, she wondered where her husband had gone – if he wanted a new heir, he'd have to come to her bed, but Lucius vanished a week ago with some galleons and a few robes. They each mourned the loss of their son in their own ways; Narcissa reached out to her family and Lucius apparently decided to disappear for a time.

Then Narcissa pulled out parchment, quill and ink to compose a letter to her older sister – Andromeda married a muggleborn and the late Lord Arcturus Black disowned her. As the new Lord Black Sirius could bring Andromeda back into the family – her sister's daughter was the only child of the next generation for now.

+)(*&^&*)(+

At supper in the Great Hall, Minerva McGonagall and Remus Lupin were late arriving; they were accompanied by a large black dog. Professor Trelawny fainted after she screamed, "Grim! We're all going to die!"

But everyone paused as suddenly bright light surrounded the dog and the creature transformed into Sirius Black.

"Padfoot!" yelled Harry Potter who leapt to his feet and ran to the laughing wizard.

"Harry!" Sirius cried as he held his godson for the first time in twelve years. "I got you! I got you!"

There were many tears shed in the Great Hall that night, but they were tears of happiness as professors and students understood the journeys required for the godfather and boy to reach that meeting. Fortunately, Dumbledore remained hidden within his office – his supper tasted bland and there were no lemon drops to be found in the castle for the rest of the month.

Minerva invited Sirius to visit with his godson in the castle for the holiday. A private apartment in Gryffindor tower was opened and happy house elves greeted the wizard and his godson. The two wizards spent the night sitting on a sofa – Sirius could not bear to send the boy to bed and Harry slept with his head on Sirius's thigh.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Fudge and Dumbledore returned to the Ministry for the next meeting of the Wizegamot – Amelia Bones was entirely too honest and she'd allow lawsuits to move forward. With the presence of the two politicians, the legislative and judicial body for Magical Britain could not agree on punishment for Dumbledore or Fudge, and the matter appeared to be withering away. McGonagall's curse faded away from Dumbledore's head but his beard refused to grow faster than a daily centimetre.

Narcissa Black was granted a divorce by Lord Sirius Black. Reconciled with her older sister Andromeda, the two witches brought order to the Black family homes for the new Lord and his heir, the Boy-Who-Lived. She later remarried and began a new family that became a strong cadet branch of the Black family.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Scene: Sirius and Cornelius Fudge (December 1993)

On 28 December, Cornelius was forced to return to the ministry – Director Bones had already passed disturbing legislation removing restrictions from werewolves. His loyal undersecretary had spent an hour on the floo with him the night before demanding that the minister return to his office.

Dodging the angry parents from Hogwarts, Cornelius determined to keep short office hours and never share his schedule with anyone – including his Auror guards. They were expected to be on duty outside his office at all hours. When he left his office for the Wizegamot chambers, these wizards formed an impenetrable wall around the minister.

It was after the close of the session the Wizegamot that day when the new Lord Black approached Minister Fudge. It was the first day that Sirius appeared in the Wizegamot and he had watched everyone very carefully. Holding his hands out to show that he did not hold a wand ready to attack Cornelius, the new Lord Black kept a neutral expression on his face.

"Minister, may I have a word?" asked the unknown man.

Fidgeting nervously, Cornelius managed to nod rather than bolting for the safety of his office.

"Uh… Lord Black… what can I do for you today?" the minister asked.

Sirius smiled with a comforting nod of his head to relieve some of the wizard's tension with meeting and talking with a stranger.

"The other lords have been telling me of your troubles." Shaking his head as though to dismiss the tales, Sirius sighed, "I can understand your caution with meeting someone new at this time."

"I am scared… uh… leery of strangers. There are threats against my life."

Now Lord Black's face showed astonishment and disbelief. "No one would dare threaten the Minister for Magic! All good wizards must stand up and defend you!"

Cornelius nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, they must all defend me!"

With a low bow, Sirius turned to leave but Cornelius called out, "Lord Black, would you care to join me for a drink?"

Smiling as if flattered, Sirius accepted the invitation and the two wizards were shortly safely locked inside the minister's office.

Cornelius poured three fingers of fire whiskey for himself and handed the bottle to Sirius who only poured a single finger of the drink.

"This office is a heavy burden," the minister said to begin the conversation. "Dealing with politicians, department heads, the press… Never a moment's rest…"

"I cannot begin to understand your burdens," Sirius said, swallowing the whiskey in a single gulp. He watched as the minister drained his glass as well and offered the bottle back to Cornelius after pouring himself a second finger of the drink. Cornelius poured two fingers, hesitated and then added two more fingers of the potent whiskey.

"How can I help you, Minister?" Sirius asked as he placed a clear idea into the other wizard's mind.

Cornelius stared for a long minute at the other wizard, considering everything he knew about the Black family.

"Rumour in the halls of the Ministry is that your family has an island far away," the minister asked. "One that is unplottable… hidden from both muggles and wizards."

Affecting surprise at the turn of the conversation, Sirius confirmed the minister's statement.

"I do have an island… surrounded by warm seas all year, where no wizard can ever set foot without an explicit invitation from me. Even my own family cannot travel there except… well, let's just say you have to have a special type of permit to use the floo and access the island."

Cornelius grinned and asked, "Would you consider allowing me to hide… to vacation on your island for a month, Lord Black? I would be eternally grateful."

The face of Lord Black grew very stern for a moment before he said, "Yes, I will grant you passage to the island. When would you like to go?"

"Tomorrow…" Cornelius said. "And when I am ready to leave, can I floo to anywhere I choose?"

"Of course, Minister Fudge. The floo on the island will have a list of locations available, but once you leave, you'll forget the island and not be able to tell others."

Nodding his head, Cornelius said, "Lord Black, I shall vacation on your island. Send me the port key… whatever it was you said…"

"The special address is written on scrap of parchment," Sirius explained. "You throw floo powder into the flames of your fireplace, throw in the paper and say, 'Take us to Black Island.' The spell will pull you into the floo and transport you to the island."

"What do you mean 'us'?" Cornelius asked. "I plan to travel alone."

Nodding his head, Sirius explained, "It is part of the incantation. The spell will only pull you into the floo. The desk and chair will remain here in your office."

Drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair, Cornelius asked, "And food, drink…"

"The elves take care of all such matters, Minister. There'll be nothing to worry you for the month of your vacation."

+)(*&^&*)(+

There was a small scene at Gringotts when Cornelius asked to be taken to his vault the following morning. Herman Smith, father of the dead Zacharias Smith entered the bank for usual transactions but erupted in anger when he saw the minister. Knowing that he dared not draw his wand inside the bank, the wizard pummelled Cornelius for a good thirty seconds before the goblin guards petrified and separated the two men.

"Arrest him!" Cornelius demanded though the goblins merely sneered at the minister.

"We don't arrest the father of a dead child for pounding the man responsible," a goblin replied. "If we were in the vaults or offices, we would allow Mr. Smith to proceed, but here in the lobby, we don't allow murder."

"Murder!" squeaked Cornelius.

"Justice!" Herman announced. "I'll get you alone someday Cornelius Fudge and there'll be no Aurors or goblin guards to save you then."

+)(*&^&*)(+

Rushing to his vault, Cornelius packed every galleon stored in the large vault – starting as a government official in the ministry in 1951, the minister managed to accumulate a respectable fortune from bribes, graft, and kick-backs. For the last two years, one percent of the taxes collected on all muggleborn purchases in Diagon Alley went directly into his personal account. It took Cornelius thirty minutes to levitate all the galleons into his travelling trunk.

He hesitated and then placed a few knuts on the floor of the vault – just enough coins to maintain the vault at Gringotts until the new year. He had no intention of ever returning to Britain – he'd stay on the island for years and only leave when the elves stopped bringing food. Shrinking his trunk, Cornelius placed it into his pocket and returned to the surface where he quickly left the bank. The Auror guard returned to his side outside Gringotts and they led him to the Leaky Cauldron to floo to the ministry.

Alone in his office, an unfamiliar owl arrived with a scrap of paper in its claws. Cornelius grinned when he read the incantation, 'Take us to Black Island.'

He drank a last tumbler of fire whiskey and then slipped the bottle into his pocket. Ready to make his escape, Cornelius paused for a moment and called for an elf. When the creature appeared, he commanded, "Bring me six bottles of fire whiskey!"

The elf bowed and popped away as his office door opened to allow Delores Umbridge to enter.

"Cornelius! There you are!" the witch dressed in pink robes announced for the entire hall to hear. "You are late this morning!"

"I am busy this morning, Delores. Come back tomorrow."

"Nonsense," the large woman replied, coming around the desk to take the minister's arm. "We must write a law to undo that law Amelia Bones passed last week that gives those nasty dark creatures rights like good, pure wizards."

"Not today!" Cornelius insisted.

"But…" the witch began to protest when the elf popped back into the room with six bottles of fire whiskey that it left on the minister's desk before popping away.

"What?" Delores asked, surprized by the amount of strong drink before her. "What are you doing with all this fire whiskey?"

Cornelius thought quickly and explained, "I am planning to throw a party at my home…"

"Let me help you!" Delores immediately demanded. As she began to plan a menu of extravagant treats, Cornelius shrank the bottles and slid them into his pockets. He stepped closer to the fireplace and drew out the scrap of parchment.

Turning, Delores took one step closer as Cornelius threw floo powder and then the paper into the flames. Quickly the minister said, "Take us to Black Island."

The loud whoosh of the floo was heard outside the minister's office and the Aurors knocked on the door. There was no reply and the Aurors entered the office to find the desk and chairs in order but the fire in the fireplace was out, and the minister and his undersecretary were missing.

+)(*&^&*)(+

The Daily Prophet returned to general stories until 30 December when the Aurors reported that Cornelius Fudge had vanished from his office in the ministry. His vault had been cleaned out and the rumour spread that he'd done a runner ahead of a reported blood feud with the Smith family. His undersecretary, Delores Umbridge disappeared as well though her vault had not been emptied; an investigation by the DMLE found documents that traced much of her wealth back to bribes and stolen Galleons from werewolves and muggleborn wizards.

After an exhaustive investigation, Director Bones announced that the six suspect families had valid, verified alibies for the day when Fudge disappeared. Frightened by the development, Dumbledore remained within the confines of Hogwarts for ninety days following the disappearance of the minister; during those three winter months, the Wizegamot freely elected Amos Diggory as the new minister, reformed the laws discriminating against creatures with intelligence, licensed a dozen new businesses by muggleborns, and placed term limits on the offices of Minister of Magic and Chief Warlock. They passed resolutions urging the Hogwarts Board of Governors to adopt similar guidelines for the position of Headmaster.

When Hogwarts reopened for the new year, there were Aurors stationed in the school to provide security for all students.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Cornelius woke slowly. Immediately, he felt in the pockets of his robes – his wand was missing, the trunk with his galleons was nowhere to be found, and his bottles of fire whiskey were gone. But worse, Delores Umbridge stood nearby and screamed.

"Cornelius! Where are we? What did you do?"

The wizard finally made it to his feet, and while ignoring the screaming witch, he attempted to survey his surroundings. He was on a tropical island; there were hot sands, palm trees, and the nearby ocean. Waves broke on the shore and looking away from the shore, Cornelius saw a small house with broken windows but a solid roof.

He attempted to walk away but Delores grabbed his arm and jerked Cornelius back to her side. "Don't ignore me, wizard! Where have you taken me? Are there Aurors coming to rescue us?"

"Unhand me!" Cornelius ordered.

However, Delores merely twisted his arm and sneered, "Answer me!"

Feeling in his pocket for his wand once again, Cornelius found a piece of parchment. He pulled it out and before he could open it, Delores snatched it from his hand and read it. Her face turned pale, then blood red with anger.

"A blood feud because you killed the Malfoy boy!" she shouted, waving the paper at the minister. "House Black has imprisoned you here for the rest of your life because you caused the death of Draco Malfoy!"

"What? What does Lord Black have to do with the Malfoys?" asked Cornelius.

"I don't know," Delores cried. "The letter just declares blood feud!"

She looked carefully at the letter and then began shouting, "I didn't do anything! Set me free! I didn't do it!"

+)(*&^&*)(+

Scene: Sirius and Dumbledore (May 1994)

Deep in the Forbidden Forest, a small meadow was full of sunshine this bright May afternoon. Created years earlier when a storm felled a dozen trees, the unicorns grazed closely to keep saplings from growing back. Other animals cropped the grass and rolled in the leaves to keep the area clear. This afternoon, the birds fell silent when a large black dog stepped from the trees and transformed into a tall, well-dressed wizard. Sirius set about conjuring a canopy, chairs and table before calling for Kreature to bring the special tea service. Once everything was ready, he cast his patronus, his happy thoughts including meeting his godson in a cave last December.

The phoenix that appeared was bright and shiny, making Sirius grin. "Go to Dumbledore and deliver this message: Lord Black invites him to tea in the unicorn's meadow in the next three minutes."

The patronus vanished to reappear in the headmaster's office in Hogwarts and deliver the message to the astonished headmaster. McGonagall and Lupin were present but remained silent as Dumbledore rose from his desk and apparated away.

"That's a handy spell he keeps for himself alone," Lupin commented and McGonagall frowned.

"Only he can apparate within the wards of Hogwarts," the deputy headmistress replied as her expression failed to hide how she felt about Dumbledore as the school year ended.

+)(*&^&*)(+

When he appeared in the clearing, Dumbledore found Sirius Black – the new and powerful Lord Black – waiting underneath a rich canopy with an extensive spread of tea and delicacies – lemon tarts on a warming tray certainly tempted the headmaster.

"Good afternoon, headmaster," Sirius called in greeting. "Do come and take tea with me."

"I am a busy man, Sirius," Dumbledore replied though he stepped under the canopy and filled a plate with the lemon tarts. A cup of tea prepared with cream and one sugar appeared on the table at his seat. He'd missed the tart lemon of desserts and confections since the first of the year – Hogwarts would not allow the elves to supply any lemon drops. And the service he received from the elves was often lacking this spring… his robes were often wrinkled and he seldom had clean underclothes to wear.

"And you deserve some consideration for all the time you give to the wizarding world," Sirius said in agreement. "I needed to speak with you briefly regarding Harry's summer plans."

Between bites of lemon tart, Dumbledore said, "The boy must return to his Aunt Petunia's home for the summer. It is the only place where he is safe."

"How is it safe?" asked the godfather, not meeting Dumbledore's eyes.

"Lily's sacrifice makes the blood wards around the house extremely strong. So long as Harry calls it 'home', the wards will protect him."

"They abuse him," Sirius said quietly.

Dumbledore sighed, "A story I hear from Harry each year. But he's an orphan who doesn't know what other families are like. I am certain the discipline is nothing worse than any other family and he is just seeking attention."

"Since I am a free man now, I intend for Harry to come live with me."

Dumbledore paused – since the dementor attack on the students at Hogsmeade, he had no allies and little power in the ministry. Minister Diggory refused any of the headmaster's requests and there was a committee investigating Dumbledore's use of the Hogwarts funds for essentials such as robes. He'd blackmailed the Board of Governors to not adopt the resolution to end his tenure as headmaster – this year. Albus would depend on Tom's return next year to throw the kneazles among the owls and restore his power over Magical Britain.

The headmaster sighed, "I suppose Harry could stay with you for a week or two before the start of the new school year."

"Excellent," Sirius agreed instantly. He turned Dumbledore's words around completely and made his own plans known, "Harry will spend a week or two with his aunt's family and then come to live with me – permanently."

Fearful of losing all influence over the Boy-Who-Lived, Dumbledore took a different approach, "Sirius, I must tell you that the Dark Lord is not dead and will return!"

Sirius nodded, offering Dumbledore more lemon tarts. "I agree. What are we going to do to prevent his return?"

"Prevent?" asked Dumbledore before shaking his head. "He must be allowed to return so he can be killed. Harry must duel with Tom next year though I expect it will be two more years before they have their last battle and die."

"What do you propose we do, then?" asked Sirius, realizing the headmaster meant for Harry to die with Tom Riddle – or whatever the Dark Lord's name was.

Dumbledore pretended to be in deep thought and then said, "I shall convene the Order of the Phoenix again. This summer, we shall gather to plan how to recognize and deal with Tom's return."

The headmaster stared at Sirius before asking, "Don't you have a house in London that I could use? A secure place for meetings."

"I might have a house in London," the wizard replied. "It will be mine and Harry's new home."

Dumbledore nodded. "And a refuge for good light wizards who are threatened by the return of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters."

"Refuge?" Sirius asked. "Who needs to find sanctuary?"

"The Weasleys – Arthur and Molly and their four youngest children. Harry is very close to the youngest two, Ron and Ginevra. I expect you'll be seeing them marry someday."

"Ron and Harry?" Sirius asked, the honest surprize in his voice evident for Dumbledore to hear. "I didn't think Harry was…"

Laughing a bit forcefully, Dumbledore corrected the wizard, "No, Harry and Ginevra. He is quite taken with her looks already. In a couple years, we can arrange a betrothal and early marriage. Mustn't take a chance of Harry dying without an heir."

Sirius realized the last of the lemon tarts were gone and the potion for freely speaking in the lemon filling would wear off without Dumbledore noticing.

"We can speak of this again in summer," he told the headmaster. "After Harry and I have time to talk."

"Yes, yes," Dumbledore agreed. "A house full of Weasleys is just what Harry needs. Oh, and his muggleborn friend Granger too… She'll help him cobble together his summer homework. The boy never gets it done before the train ride to Hogwarts, you know."

+)(*&^&*)(+

Vernon Dursley heard the rumours at work about a new owner for the company but couldn't discover any information. The day the new owner came to inspect the plant and meet the sales and executive staff, Vernon made certain to dress carefully and speak politely; the salesman was pleased to be 'randomly selected' to be interviewed by the new owner. Led into the meeting room by a shapely female, Vernon kept his eyes on the woman's figure as she exited the room. Only when the door closed did he take a good look at his new boss.

The man's eyes were clear and bright, his suit of clothes was tailored and for just a moment, Vernon thought his future looked extremely bright; someone of quality would recognize his contributions and skill set.

"Sit, Dursley," the man said. "We have much to discuss."

"Certainly, Mr. – uh – I never got your name, sir," Vernon replied and suddenly grew nervous to see the man behind the desk grin wickedly.

"Sirius Black, Lord Sirius Black…"

Recognizing the name and the face, Vernon tried to stand and run but his body refused to obey him. A damn twig appeared in the freak's hand as coloured lights shot out and spread about the room.

"Now, no one can hear us; no one will remember you are in here; and we can discuss my godson's treatment at your hands for the last twelve years."

"You're a wanted murderer…"

"No longer," Sirius explained. "I've been exonerated in both your world and mine. And in case, I am a lord. We're expected to be eccentric don't you know… Murder is just a little thing for someone like me."

Vernon swallowed nervously as the wizard continued, "Harry's school term ends next week. You will pick him up at Kings Cross, be polite, and allow him unfettered access to your house for two weeks. At the end of that time, I will collect him and you will never see him again," Sirius explained.

"If – and listen carefully Dursley – if Harry has no complaints about his treatment, food, or chores for those two weeks, I will give you a thousand gold coins," Sirius said, flipping one coin out of his pocket and into Vernon's hands.

"However, if Harry has a single bruise, stomach cramp, or scratch, I will turn you, you wife, and your son into pigs and sell you to a butcher."

"You can't…"

"Remember… eccentric lord here…"

+)(*&^&*)(+

Scene: Sirius and Weasleys (June 1994)

It was the first day of Harry's visit with the Dursleys and Dobby was absent from No.12 – the elf would remain invisible at No.4 Privet Drive to perform all Harry's chores and protect the teen from his uncle's fists and his cousin's boots.

Kreature would care for the housekeeping and Sirius would visit with Remus and members of the Black family. The new Lord Black had taken his seat in the Wizegamot and wrestled the Potter seat away from Dumbledore's control. But he still had to meet with Dumbledore – the headmaster's stories about the return of the Dark Lord and the threat to Harry were concerning.

As Sirius finished his coffee, he heard the whoosh from the near-by floo room followed by loud voices of teenagers and their mother. Apparently, there was to be an unannounced visit by Molly Weasley and her four youngest children to destroy the peace of No.12 Grimmauld Place.

Sirius rose from his chair at the kitchen table as the voices grew closer and louder; Dumbledore had asked for a visit to introduce Sirius to the Weasleys who would be his guests this summer, but Sirius understood the visit was to occur this evening with Arthur and Dumbledore present as well.

"Master…" Kreature began to fidget and looked concern.

"Become invisible and keep an eye on the children," Sirius instructed his elf. "Harry says they are tricksters and bullies."

As Sirius approached the kitchen door, he heard the voices in the hallway clearly.

"This house is so dirty," Molly Weasley exclaimed. "It'll take the entire summer to clean."

Sirius smirked – the wards and charms on the house made it appear filthy to visitors with ill-intent – if they were uncomfortable, such visitors would not linger. The house wards would keep them from causing damage or stealing.

"Mother, where is Harry?" a girl's voice asked.

"Potter's on vacation with the muggles," replied a boy's voice.

Sirius threw open the kitchen door and announced, "Guests remain in the floo room until a member of the family invites them into the house!"

"Ah… you must be Sirius Black," the middle-aged witch said, dismissing his statement. "Dumbledore said you would be here."

"This is my home," Sirius replied. "You were supposed to visit tonight with your husband and the headmaster, I believe…"

"They are busy and the headmaster suggested we come by today and look over the house where we'll be living from now on…"

"Living from now on?" asked Sirius as he decided to invoke the major family charms today to 'hide' the house from all magical minds except for immediate family.

"Mom, can we get something to eat?" asked a son who looked close to Harry's age. The twin sons stood back in the hall, whispering to each other about lifting some silverware or knick-knacks to pawn for Galleons. George picked up a silver candlestick but dropped it quickly when it burned his hand. Fred tried to levitate a silver tray into a bag but the bag exploded in flames and disintegrated. The silver tray clanged loudly when it hit the floor but Molly ignored her sons and their attempted thefts. She was excited to share her news with Sirius Black.

"The headmaster said that the Order of the Phoenix will be based in this…" glancing about with obvious distaste for the decor, Molly continued, "…house from now on until Harry Potter defeats the Dark Lord. Once Ginny is married to the half-blood, she'll lead the Potter family and she'll make this her home."

"Marry Harry?" asked Sirius, his surprize growing more obvious with each pronouncement by this family. "Lead the Potter family?"

"It's all arranged," Ginny said. "Headmaster Dumbledore signed the betrothal agreement when we were both small."

Now the shock on Lord Black's face was evident to even the youngest Weasley boy who laughed aloud.

"And I really think you'll need to find somewhere else to live," Molly told her host.

The witch saw the wizard's mouth twitch once before suddenly she was waking up back in the Burrow. Her four youngest children lay scattered about the room, asleep and quiet for once.

The angry witch made her way to the fireplace, threw in floo powder, and shouted, "No.12 Grimmauld Place!"

At just that moment, Sirius cast the final phrases in the spell to hide the house from everyone except for Harry and himself. When the flames never turned green; Molly frowned and tried again but suddenly, she could not remember the address of the house in London.

Losing her temper, Molly threw floo powder and shouted, "Headmaster's office, Hogwarts!"

+)(*&^&*)(+

"Molly, I am certain there's a misunderstanding," Dumbledore told the witch in his floo after listening to her shouting for twenty minutes. "Sirius Black is a level-headed wizard. Once I speak to him again, everything will be cleared up. You will be safely housed in… wherever the house is… See, you'll be safe because no one can find it!"

"I want that house clean this summer! It was filthy! If we're going to live there until He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is defeated, I must make it a safe home!" she shouted before the fire suddenly ended; apparently Hogwarts had limits on its patience as well.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Albus sat and held his head. Molly's screams gave him a headache. Attempting to understand the woman's motives for creating a scene with Sirius gave him another headache. The disappearance of… the Black house… from his memory was disturbing.

' _I must gain possession of the house this summer and secure it with my charms. I think it was perfect for a headquarters but I can't remember… And then Sirius can be dealt with and the Weasleys will control Potter for me.'_

+)(*&^&*)(+

When Sirius finally contacted the headmaster, Dumbledore chided the wizard, "Now Sirius, I don't know why you decided to irritate Molly so terribly…"

Sirius didn't respond and Dumbledore sighed, an affectation certain to illicit sympathy from the listener.

"I had to spend a miserable hour on the floo calming her down and my old knees are not able to kneel for such long times…"

"Then you should not have told her to visit unexpectedly that morning!" Sirius interrupted the headmaster. "Her sons tried to steal the silver! She and her children were rude…"

"They're excited about moving to your house and seeing Harry," Albus explained.

Shaking his head, Lord Black said, "I am having second thoughts now."

"Sirius Black! How can you turn your back on our crusade? We must work together against the Dark Lord," Albus fussed.

"Then the Weasleys must wait until the end of July to move in," Sirius stated. "Once Harry is here, they can come."

"But they need time to acclimate to the house… Molly has plans to scrub the house from cellar to attic…"

"They cannot come until the end of July – on 30 July, just before Harry's birthday."

"Sirius," Dumbledore began but Sirius ended the floo call and the headmaster sat back before slowly rising to his feet.

' _I am too old for this!'_ he fussed. _'Why can't people understand that I know what is best?'_

Thinking for a moment, Albus decided to repay Sirius Black for his rudeness – he'd send a surprize visitor to visit the new headquarters – Severus Snape.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Scene: Disappearances (July 1994)

On 12 July, Harry was in the kitchen at No.4 Privet Drive preparing breakfast. His two weeks visit with Aunt Petunia's family had been different than any other – they had not beaten or starved him. He'd only had reasonable chores and they allowed him to keep his books to do on his homework. There'd been no owl post from Ron or Hermione but Harry heard from Neville via muggle post both weeks and their friendship had grown. Letters from Luna and from Sirius appeared in his room at night, brought by a mischievous house elf without doubt but Harry could honestly report to Dumbledore this fall that he'd not seen or spoken to Dobby the whole of the summer.

Just as Petunia and Vernon reached the foot of the staircase, there was a firm knock on the front door. In the kitchen, Harry heard the muffled voices and then his aunt appeared the door, and motioned for him to follow her back into the lounge.

At the door stood a tall man, dressed in an expensive business suit, who grinned when he saw the boy.

"Sirius!" Harry shouted and ran the last few steps to be grabbed in a hug. "You came early!"

"I couldn't wait another day!" the wizard replied. "Are you all packed?"

"Almost; give me ten minutes to collect…"

"Dobby!" Sirius called as Petunia and Vernon retreated to the far side of the sofa. The little elf popped into the room and bowed to the wizards.

"Master Lord Sirius Black calls for Dobby at prison of Lord Harry Potters-Black," Dobby said as he rose, casting a glance at the two fearful muggles.

"Would you move all of my godson's belongings to his new room in our London house?"

"Yes, Master Sirius," Dobby said as he popped away and everyone felt the surge of magic as the wards that protected the house along with Harry's trunk, books and clothing were transported to London.

Sirius pulled out a wallet, and turned to the Dursleys, "Now for your reward."

"That's a small purse," Vernon complained. "You promised a thousand of those gold pieces!"

"But you forget, I have magic," Sirius replied as he opened the wallet and turned it upside down, pouring out a thousand golden coins of assorted sizes. "I can't give you Galleons so I purchased these from antique shops, and my elf retrieved them from the bottom of the sea. You should bank them and move today. Harry's protection doesn't work here any longer and 'bad' wizards can find you now."

With that Sirius Black wrapped an arm around his godson and they apparated away. The two wizards never heard anything from the Dursleys again; the lives of the muggles were completely 'normal' thereafter.

+)(*&^&*)(+

"Welcome to No.12 Grimmauld Place!" Sirius announced to his godson. The house was clean, with new rugs, furniture and wallpaper. "This is your home from this moment!"

The teenager grinned, feeling the wards accept him, and the house welcome him. He looked around and asked, "Why did Remus say this place was a dump? It's brilliant!"

"Only family sees the true house. The 'filth' keeps visitors from overstaying their welcome. Now, come upstairs," Sirius said. "Our family rooms are on the second floor."

When they reached the first landing, Harry pointed down the hall and asked, "Do we have any guests on this floor?"

Sirius shrugged. "There are rooms set aside for the Weasleys, Miss Granger, and my cousin's daughter, Auror Dora Tonks – she stays occasionally. Remus has a room on the ground floor but none of the other visitors stay overnight."

Harry grimaced. "Are the Weasleys staying here?"

His godfather explained, "Not until the end of the month. Dumbledore insists they come to visit to be safe from the Death Eaters."

Then Sirius grinned. "And none of them can come up to the family floor. I have configured the wards so the twins cannot play pranks in this house without hexes stinging them and throwing the prank back onto them."

Relived, Harry said, "Then I can get my homework finished in peace!"

"Now, what say we go to Diagon Alley? We can buy you quidditch supplies, books, ice cream, and new clothes."

"And I want to find a present for Neville. His birthday is at the end of the month."

Harry nodded while Sirius continued, "Augusta Longbottom invited us to their home for his birthday party."

"I've never been to a birthday party before…"

"And you'll have a party for your birthday!"

"A birthday party for me?" Harry asked and Sirius felt a lump in his throat that the boy had never had a party to mark his birthday in the past.

"Yes, with Neville, Luna, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, and other friends if you want," said Sirius.

Seeing Harry's raised eyebrows, the wizard laughed. "And Hermione and the Weasleys or else Dumbledore will be 'disappointed' with us."

The pair climbed to the third floor and Harry found his name on the door on the left.

"No one can see your name except for the people you invite above stairs," Sirius said.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Harry enjoyed the next two weeks very much; Sirius took him into Muggle London for shopping, movies and dinner. They visited with Neville, Luna, and other Hogwarts students. Sirius took Luna and Harry to a large garden centre in the suburbs where they found several dozen exotic plants to gift Neville – muggle herbs were effective in magical potions and they would add to the Longbottom greenhouses on their friend's birthday.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Following breakfast in the Great Hall, Albus Dumbledore returned to his office but sat aside the budgets for the coming year at Hogwarts; Minerva's reports were excellent as always. He smiled thinking about the coming year – the Tri-Wizard Tournament would tempt Tom to reappear for certain. His plans for Harry Potter…

' _I must regain control of the boy… and Sirius for that matter,'_ the headmaster mused. _'And that house in London will be perfect for my plans. Severus will have a potions laboratory that's not inspected by the Ministry.'_

He sighed and rose from his chair. The phoenix turned her back on the headmaster – she knew his plans and refused to transport him any longer, though no one had noticed. Once Tom Riddle was dealt with, Dumbledore would write his autobiography to reveal his burdens and ensure his place in Magical British history.

' _But today, I must continue to show others the errors of their ways,'_ he decided, reaching into his pocket for the slip of paper he'd received from Sirius.

The copy he'd made for Severus must have infuriated Sirius – the two wizards still hated each other after all these years apart. Albus considered the scrap of parchment carefully – it represented an unknown magic that resembled the fidelius charm but defied discovery. The Black family had great power and Dumbledore intended for most of the books in that hidden library to be stored in his own, personal library before the end of the next school year. It took almost ten days, and the headmaster used all his magical power and the Elder Wand to duplicate the paper and the enchantment.

Dumbledore smiled and wondered how well 'Lord Black' handled having his school yard nemesis appear from the floo two days before 'to set up Dumbledore's potion lab' in No.12 Grimmauld Place. Anticipating a lively conversation with Sirius and Severus, Albus hurried to the fireplace to throw in floo powder and the paper, and said the words, "Take me to No.12 Grimmauld Place…"

+)(*&^&*)(+

"Mr. Lord Sirius Blacks!" shouted the excited Dobby. "There's wards tingling with magics…"

"Yes, Dobby," Sirius agreed. "There's another visitor."

"House Black will have justice for its family!" insisted Kreature popping into the room. "Kreature says that Lord Black is worthy of his power!"

+)(*&^&*)(+

' _It is very quiet,'_ Dumbledore thought as he woke and glanced about. He expected to be in the floo room at Grimmauld Place – a house he'd visited once the week before.

"Albus!" exclaimed the voice of Severus Snape. "Do you have your wand?"

"My wand?" Dumbledore asked as he reached into his pocket for the Elder Wand. The old wizard kept reaching through his pocket – there was no wand in his pocket and his spare wand was missing from the other pocket.

"Severus? What happened?" asked Dumbledore, still searching in his pockets for his wands.

"Look around!" Severus demanded. "We're in some sort of trap! Black has imprisoned us! You've got to get me out of here!"

Albus stood still and allowed his aura of magic to flow out… he paused very suddenly when his aura couldn't expand beyond the walls of the room. He tried to focus his power and breach the walls without success.

"I've been here for two days and can't find any exit…" Severus said. "What were you doing before arriving here?"

The headmaster said, "I was in my office at Hogwarts and decided to visit… what's the name of this place again?"

"I can't remember," Severus said.

The headmaster looked around the room; it was simply furnished with two cots, two chairs, and a single table. There was a small bookcase with a few titles. He noticed a chamber pot in the corner, two wizard torches in the walls, and covered dishes on the table.

"Food? Who brings you food?" Albus asked Severus.

The potions professor sighed. "The dishes appear twice a day with ample food and drink. The food is plain but nourishing."

"And the 'necessary'?" the headmaster asked, alluding to the chamber pot.

The other wizard looked away before replying, "It cleans itself each afternoon before the evening meal arrives. At least I assume it is afternoon – there's no sunlight to tell the actual time of day."

"How long did I sleep when I arrived?"

The potions professor replied, "Almost an hour. There was a louder than usual floo whoosh and then you appeared on the floor."

Albus moved to a chair and sat while he considered the situation. "It is likely that Sirius will appear shortly and laugh, announcing this is a prank – you know how he enjoyed all the pranks when you were in school…"

Severus rubbed his temples – the headmaster's presence did raise the wizard's hopes of escaping this cell. The last two days, he'd tested the walls, the magic, and the wards before concluding this was an impenetrable prison.

Calling on his occlumency skills, Severus calmed his mind.

"Oh dear," Albus said aloud and Severus broke his meditation to glance toward the headmaster. The old wizard looked much older suddenly and in his trembling hands, he held a piece of parchment.

"What is it?" Severus asked. Dumbledore tried to speak twice but couldn't find the words. Snape stepped closer and took the paper, opening it to read.

 **Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore – or whatever name you have cobbled together – know that House Black and House Potter declare blood feud with you!**

 **You placed Heir Potter-Black in an abusive muggle home for twelve years and did nothing to help him. You brought him into Hogwarts and allowed the spirit of the Dark Lord to threaten his life in each of the first two years at the school!**

 **In his third year you allowed that idiot Fudge to station a horde of Dementors around the school – this resulted in the death of a child of our house – Draco Malfoy – in a most painfully way.**

 **And you sent me to Azkaban without a trial! A faithful supporter was cast into hell without a second thought.**

 **Now, you will repay House Potter, House Black, and House Malfoy for your crimes. Nothing will bring you rescue from your cell – enjoy your coming years in prison.**

Severus went and sat on his cot and didn't speak again for three days.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Later in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, Dobby and Kreature shared a glance; they'd felt the wards tingle as the traveller arrived in the cells somewhere in the house that morning. They would increase the amount of food and drink provided twice each day by the wards.

"Does Kreature think these wizards kill each other like Toad and Fudger?" Dobby asked. "They lasted only two weeks before Toad choked Fudger to death!"

"And she went crazy chasing self's around island before drops dead," Kreature replied. "These wizards meaner and sterner… They have long sentence in prisons cells before they die."

+)(*&^&*)(+

"Did you remember to pack the family clock?" Arthur asked his wife in the lounge of the Burrow. "Dumbledore insisted that once we leave, we can't return until next year."

"I hate to run away," said Fred. "There's no place to fly in London."

"Be quiet!" Molly told her son. "The entire family is in danger from the Death Eaters and from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!"

"Why can't we go to Harry and Neville's birthday party today?" whined Ron. "There'd be cake and ice cream!"

"And I'd get to be with Harry!" Ginny insisted.

"There'll be Slytherins there!" Molly argued. "They would tell lies…"

"But we're strong and none of them could hurt us!" Ron argued. "And there's cake…"

The twins exchanged glances – the danger from the Dark Lord might be real but they'd seen nothing about Death Eaters that scared them. If you used appropriate spells, you could kill the Death Eaters…

"Everything is packed, Arthur. No one knows we're leaving this morning," Molly assured her husband. "Have you got that paper Black gave you?"

"Yes, dear," Arthur replied as he shrunk down the last of the trunks and slid them into his pockets. "The floo will accommodate all six of us at once with the spell on the paper."

"Then let's get moving," Molly exclaimed. "I want to start on that kitchen today… Did you notice they had a muggle ice box? I want a wizard's cooling cabinet installed…"

Arthur Weasley, his wife and four youngest children stood in front of the fireplace in their home while Arthur threw in floo powder, the paper from Sirius Black, and the words, "Take us to No.12 Grimmauld Place…"

+)(*&^&*)(+

Sirius rose from his chair – he'd just finished his breakfast and it was time to take Harry to the Longbottom home for the surprize birthday parties. He noticed Kreature pop into the kitchen as the wards 'winked' for a second time that morning. Wizard and elf exchanged glances, recognizing the magic transporting the Weasleys somewhere other than the expected destination of No.12 Grimmauld Place.

Kreature admitted the new Lord Black was ruthless… All his enemies were now punished with long, painful, permanent imprisonments.

+)(*&^&*)(+

That day, 30 July, Sirius joined with Augusta Longbottom to host a combination birthday party for the two boys – Harry was surprized and enjoyed the day with friends from all four Hogwarts houses in attendance. They exchanged presents, flew brooms and played harmless jokes with each other.

"Potter, where are Ron, Fred and George?" asked Seamus after everyone had cake and the ever-present ice cream.

"Didn't you hear from Ginny, Seamus?" asked Susan, hinting at the Gryffindor's interest in the youngest Weasley.

"Yeah, I can't imagine a party without the Weasleys," said Hannah.

"Really?" asked Neville with a grin. "Miss Abbot, is our company lacking?"

Hannah laughed and explained, "It's perfectly enjoyable without the Weasleys. No jinxes flying about."

"And everyone got cake and ice cream without Ron eating everything," observed Susan Bones.

"Have you heard from Ron this summer?" asked Seamus.

"I haven't heard from them or from Hermione," Harry admitted. "They are supposed to come stay at our London house for August. I'll hear everything I need to know before schools starts."

"Do you have a house in London?" asked Hannah.

"I live with my godfather." Harry motioned toward Sirius and added, "We've been all over London and plan to head to the coast for a few days."

+)(*&^&*)(+

Among the adults, Augusta was pleased that the Weasleys had missed the party. She'd reluctantly issued the invitation at Neville's insistence and had prompted her elves to watch the red-headed boys closely if they arrived.

+)(*&^&*)(+

The evening, Harry and Sirius returned to Grimmauld Place with smiles and jokes to share. Kreature and Dobby prepared a light supper and set the table for a dozen people. They waited supper late; expecting their visitors to arrive but after Remus arrived with Hermione Granger for a month-long visit, Auror Dora Tonks was the only other person to appear through the floo, and she came with shocking news.

"People are disappearing," the pink-haired Auror reported. "First it was Severus Snape, and now the Weasley family vanished."

"Snape and the Weasleys disappeared? When did this happen?" asked Remus.

"Like in the last war?" Sirius asked, watching his friend shudder with dread for the return of those terrible days.

Dora frowned and explained, "Not exactly. Severus disappeared from Hogwarts two days ago but all his clothing and everything else remained."

"How is the disappearance of the Weasleys different, then," asked Hermione.

"Arthur didn't come to work at the ministry this morning. Percy works there and when no one answered the floo at the Burrow, he called his brother Bill at Gringotts. Bill went to the Burrow and he found the house deserted, his family missing, and all their clothing gone. Molly's favourite pots and pans, her clock, and her spice cabinet are all missing. The children's school trunks are gone along with their brooms and books."

"This is strange. The Weasleys were supposed to come here this morning," Sirius explained. "Dumbledore made all the arrangements and I figured they would arrive today or tomorrow. I wasn't worried about them."

"Percy and Bill asked the Aurors to investigate," Dora said. "They'll want to come here and talk to you."

Sirius nodded, "I'll do anything I can to help the Aurors, but what does Dumbledore say?"

Auror Tonks looked grave when she responded, "No one can find him this afternoon. He left Hogwarts this morning and hasn't returned."

"Does the headmaster disappear like that often?" Harry asked.

"Elves!" Sirius called and waited while Kreature, Dobby and Winky all popped into the room. "Did Dumbledore come to No.12 today? Did the Weasleys send a message? Did anyone come through the floo or the door, except for us?" Sirius asked as he motioned to Harry, Remus, Hermione, and Dora.

All three elves shook their heads, and Dobby said, "No, Master Lord Sirius Black. No one comes to No.12 except for youse."

+)(*&^&*)(+

The disappearance of Severus Snape cheered many Hogwarts student and alumni. Other 'former' Death Eaters panicked, fearing the ministry was engaged in subterfuge or that the Dark Lord had returned and taken Snape to torture.

The disappearance of Arthur and Molly Weasley and their four youngest children distressed their three older sons, but other wizards and witches shed crocodile tears; Molly's howlers were legendary across Magical Britain, the twins were terrors for their classmates at Hogwarts, and the kindest thing anyone would say about youngest two was that they were difficult to befriend.

Harry quickly realized he was relieved not to deal with the four Weasley children; he discussed it privately with Sirius who agreed that the house was pleasanter without the loud Weasley voices. They would hope for the safe return of the Weasleys to their own home in the countryside.

+)(*&^&*)(+

The next day, Amelia Bones and Alistair Moody came to No.12 Grimmauld Place to question Sirius. The Director of the DMLE was surprized when Lord Black insisted that his godson and his classmate, the muggleborn girl, be present.

"Harry's teachers and school mates are missing," Sirius explained. "If it is Death Eater activity… I don't want him and Miss Granger to be caught by surprize."

"He is very young," Amelia argued until Sirius made Harry and Hermione explain their adventures during the last three years at Hogwarts. After hearing about Harry's misadventures chasing the Dark Lord and the Sorcerer's Stone in the first year, and dealing from the basilisk and Tom Riddle's diary in the second year, the head of the DMLE was furious with Albus Dumbledore.

Moody remembered to question Sirius about the Weasleys while Amelia questioned and made notes of the two young teenager's memories.

"When you talked, what did Albus say about the Dark Lord?" asked the old Auror.

Sirius nodded gravely but answered truthfully, "In May, we talked about Harry's lodgings for the summer. We argued but Dumbledore is persuasive. He is convinced that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name isn't dead."

After a moment, Sirius continued, "Harry's encounters with the wizard's spirit in his first two years at Hogwarts convinced me that the headmaster is correct."

After watching Amelia and Moody exchange glances, Sirius continued, "We compromised that Harry would visit his muggle relatives for two weeks and then move here to live with me permanently."

Pulling Harry close to his side, Sirius added, "Albus thought that the Weasleys in their humble home would be easy targets for Death Eaters and he wanted them to be safe."

"And Grimmauld Place is safe?" asked Alistair.

"As soon as you step through the floo, it is erased from your memory and from Amelia's notes," Sirius explained. "Only family – only Harry and I – can remember the place when we are away from here. Remus must have the address for each visit or I have to bring him in. Even my cousin's daughter, Auror Tonks, can't enter without a new invitation each time."

He pointed at Harry's classmate and said, "When Miss Granger goes shopping, she'll have to be with us to be able to return."

"That's not fair!" Hermione insisted but Sirius ignored her, and Harry noticed he was pleased to have a place where he could be 'safe' from his muggleborn friend's instructions.

"Was Albus starting up the Order of the Phoenix again?" asked Moody.

"Yes, but I don't… why do you keep talking about Albus in the past tense?" interrupted Sirius. "Do you think something has happened to him?"

The old Auror frowned, "I don't know. But that's a technique we use to trip up suspects."

"Are we 'suspects'?" asked Harry. "That's exciting!"

"No, you're not suspects," Amelia interjected. "This is just like Albus Dumbledore to set up some mysterious plan, set fake trails of arrangements to bring the Weasleys here, but actually send them somewhere else…"

"But what about Snape's disappearance earlier this week?" asked Moody. "And now Albus disappearing?"

Hermione looked pensive and Harry asked her, "What do you think?"

She sighed and nodded her head, "It does sound like the headmaster to make a complicated plan. But he told me that we would have a month here at the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix to help Harry prepare for another year at Hogwarts."

"Headquarters?" asked Sirius, surprized by that word in the girl's explanation.

"Help me prepare – for what?" asked Harry. "How would we prepare?"

Ignoring Harry, the girl explained, "The headmaster said that he'd place a secrecy charm over the house and make it the headquarters for the Order in the coming struggle against the Dark Lord."

"But the house is already a secret!" stated Harry.

Amelia, Alistair, and Sirius each recognized the girl's words sounding like the headmaster's typical plans of appropriating the belongings of others.

+)(*&^&*)(+

That evening, Remus escorted Miss Granger home to her parents. Her tendency to 'instruct' Harry with every little item irritated the teenager and his godfather. Hermione clammed up after the Aurors left and refused to share any more of Dumbledore's instructions or news about the coming year at Hogwarts.

When she tried to instruct the wizards about searching for Dumbledore, Sirius announced that Hermione would have to return to her parents for the rest of the summer. The muggleborn witch protested but Sirius remained adamant.

"I decline to chaperone a young girl – there are no women in residence."

"But Tonks is here," Hermione argued.

"Only for supper occasionally," Remus replied. "Sirius is correct; for propriety's sake, you need to return home."

During supper, Dobby packed the young witch's trunk and deposited it beside the door. Still reluctant to leave, Hermione argued with Sirius as he guided her out the door. Waiting for the young witch, Remus shrunk her trunk to pocket size but Hermione declined to carry it, leaving it for the werewolf to place inside his pocket.

"I'll meet you at the Leaky Cauldron at 8:00 PM to bring you back to the house," Sirius whispered to his oldest friend as they pushed Hermione out the door.

+)(*&^&*)(+

"I don't know how Harry will get his homework completed without me revising his essays…" she complained to the werewolf as he walked with her up the street to her family home.

"Harry is very bright, Miss Granger," Remus stated and while Hermione snorted, the werewolf pressed the buzzer on the door.

Frank Granger opened his front door to find his missing daughter.

"Hermione! We thought you…"

"Dr. Granger, there were some major changes to the plans for the summer," Remus said and glanced at the teenage girl. "We lost the matron who was going to act as chaperone at the Black home and we thought it would be best if the 'brightest witch in her generation' were to spend August with her parents."

When Remus pulled the shrunken trunk from his pocket and offered it to Hermione, she said, "Take my trunk upstairs."

Glancing at Mr. Granger who frowned at his daughter for her rudeness, Remus sat the trunk on the stoop where it returned to normal size. He didn't bother to step away before spinning in place and vanishing.

"Those wizards come and go so strangely," Dr. Granger told his daughter, not for the first time. He held the door but forced his daughter to drag her trunk up the stairs.

+)(*&^&*)(+

When questioned by the Aurors, Minerva McGonagall confirmed that it was very common for both Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore to use the floo or to apparate from Hogwarts during the summer holidays without leaving notes or messages for their destination or time of return.

For a week, Magical Britain waited for the reappearance of Albus Dumbledore. Then the papers and government began to panic.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Alistair Moody went on high alert because of the similarities to the disappearances at the beginning of the last war. Aurors were drilled and sent on raids that left Death Eaters in cells to be questioned with vertasium, and then thrown through the veil.

The growing hysteria in the editorials of the Daily Prophet and speeches by Amos Diggory about questioning everyone, led Sirius to take Harry to France. The Lovegoods and Longbottoms joined them for a pleasant vacation in Paris.

On 23 August, the Ministry of Magic announced that Auror Alistair Moody (retired), Auror Nymphadora Tonks, and Auror John Dawlish duelled the Dark Lord and two of his minions; Barty Crouch, Jr. and Lucius Malfoy when the evil wizards attempted to take Moody prisoner outside his London home. In the battle, Dawlish and Crouch were killed but the infant-sized Dark Lord and Lucius Malfoy were captured. At their trials, the two prisoners were pumped full of vertasium and revealed the plot to place Crouch in disguise as Moody at Hogwarts that fall, and involve Harry Potter in the resurrection of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named next spring. They were going to force Potter to participate in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Lucius Malfoy attempted to plead the imperious command defence again but the Dark Lord's testimony destroyed Malfoy's argument. The Death Eater and his master were thrown through the veil. The Unspeakables grew excited when they threw Tom Riddle's homunculus into the mysterious veil and immediately, several 'shades' appeared to follow him. Despite their excitement, the Unspeakables never made any announcements.

In France, Harry collapsed and the scar on his forehead bled for a time but he woke after an hour none the worse, and the infamous scar faded away in just a few days.

+)(*&^&*)(+

On 25 August, the Daily Prophet ran an article in which the Ministry announced that they had resolved the disappearance of the famous (Albus Dumbledore), infamous (Severus Snape), and not-so-famous (Weasley family) wizards; the Dark Lord and his minions captured them and killed them before being captured themselves!

This simple announcement resolved the mystery of the missing wizards. Earlier in the month, the Board of Governors confirmed Minerva McGonagall as headmistress of Hogwarts and allowed her to hire a new transfiguration professor (Remus Lupin).

Alistair Moody, Dora Tonks, and John Dawlish were each awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, by the Wizegamot. Alistair joined the faculty at Hogwarts that fall as DADA professor and remained at the school for ten years.

+)(*&^&*)(+

On 27 August, Lord Sirius Black demanded that Hogwarts decline to host or participate in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

"Otherwise, my son and heir, Harry Potter-Black will not return to Hogwarts!" the powerful lord announced on the floor of the Wizegamot. The lords and ladies agreed with Lord Black – their children or grandchildren attended Hogwarts with the Boy-Who-Lived and they intended the school to focus on education now that Dumbledore and the Dark Lord were gone.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Scene: Fleamont and Portraits (June 2094)

"Fleamont, what led you to this conclusion about Dumbledore's disappearance?" asked Harry from his portrait frame.

"The Black Family magic is educating me about possibilities and powers. The removal of Albus Dumbledore from the positions he used to manipulate Magical Britain is one of the great accomplishments in the Family Magic's history."

"He wasn't removed because of Magical Britain," Sirius explained. "I sent him away because he wanted Harry to be abused his entire childhood, then abused Harry at Hogwarts, and allowed a child of the Black family blood to be killed by the dementors."

The young Lord Black stared at the portrait of his ancestor for a long moment before saying, "You were ruthless with disappearances that year; the Minister for Magic, a potions professor, an entire family, and the headmaster of Hogwarts."

The portrait of Sirius Black did not react but bowed his head to acknowledge the list. Fleamont frowned and glanced at his grandfather's portrait. Harry's face was always kind when speaking to his family and today would be no different.

"I never questioned Sirius's decisions from that year," Harry told Fleamont. "Fudge ordered the dementors into place around Hogwarts and Dumbledore allowed it. Five other children besides my cousin, Draco Malfoy, were kissed and died that day."

The portrait frowned and added, "Snape made my life hellish in the castle – with Dumbledore's knowledge."

Then Harry appeared thoughtful for a moment before he continued, "The Weasleys were a band of Dumbledore supporters and bullies. I would have been forced into marriage with the daughter if Sirius hadn't handled them."

Shaking his head, Fleamont said, "But to send six members of one family to the endless prison cell…"

"Who said I imprisoned them?" asked Sirius.

Now, Harry asked, "What did you do with them? You've never explained where you sent the Weasleys."

"Not where, but 'when'," grinned Sirius.

+)(*&^&*)(+

When the floo stopped spinning, Arthur Weasley immediately pulled out his wand. His family stood in a small clearing in an ancient forest. There was no floo behind them to return to the Burrow. There was large fire with barbarians holding spears, flint knives and a few bows.

"Bugger," Fred said before throwing up his strongest shields. Ron screamed in terror and Molly yelled abuse at the tribesmen who threw spears at the shields only for the shields to bounce the stone and wood weapons back at the wild warriors.

From a tent made of animal hides, a man appeared and with a crudely made wand, he cast simple spells that calmed the tribe and stopped the attack. The man stepped closer to the shield and examined the Weasleys closely.

Ron lay on the ground sobbing but Fred, George and Ginny stood with their father, their wands prepared to cast more spells. Molly was petrified – by George – to stop any tirade that might cause problems.

"Galdre?" the tribesman with the wand asked. (Old English 'Wizard')

"Gese! Wizards!" Arthur confirmed. (Old English 'Yes').

"Wilcumian," the tribesman said and dropped to one knee as the rest of the tribe fell on their faces. (Old English 'Welcome').

It was Arthur who found the note in his pocket from Sirius Black. Lord Black wrote that the Weasleys were spared death in the blood feud with Dumbledore only because of the four children.

 **You kept your wands but nothing else. I don't know what Mother Magic will do with you, but I have given the six of you to her care. Your daughter is not welcome to be the next Lady Potter-Black, your sons are thieves, and your wife is a nag. The family magic would have weeded each of you from the family tree without mercy!**

Mother Magic blessed the Weasleys with knowledge of the tongue of the Saxons and gradually erased modern English from their memories. By the time that Fred and George became 'chiefs' of the extended tribe and began the migration to Britain, they had four wives, eight children and almost three hundred warriors at their command.

In the brief time that Ron survived, the Saxons called him 'deor' ('wild animal') because he was never satisfied with the food available. He wandered away from the tribe one night and was never seen again. Ginny was called a 'helrýnegu' (sorceress), and Molly became feared as a 'hægtesse' (hag), while Arthur was a respected 'galdre' who taught young wizards how to use the wands they stole from the Romans.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Harry and Fleamont both groaned; Mother Magic did not appreciate changes in the flow of time.

"Now, now… I gave them to Mother Magic to place where they could do the most good… All I know is that ancient tomb was opened recently in Essex and there were drawings of a family of red-heads appearing among a tribe that invaded this island along with thousands of their kin."

+)(*&^&*)(+

Scene: Albus Dumbledore (October 2097)

In a cell carved from rock, the three wizards sat in three chairs and watched each other carefully. There were plentiful wizard torches around the room to provide light and drive away the shadows. The was continually refreshed by some type of exchange spell, but it moved about the ceiling and could not be captured or studied.

"How long have you been imprisoned here?" Riddle asked the other men.

"We've been here for ten years," Severus replied quickly.

Albus shook his head and explained, "The tempus spell does not appear to work here – we 'think' we've been here for many months but we've lost count of the number of days."

"Do the lights go out?" Riddle asked.

"No," Severus replied. "And there's never any sound either."

"Do you think it is another plain of existence?" Dumbledore asked.

Riddle frowned, shook his head, and raised one hand, casting a series of spells with his fingers. "It appears to be a very effective prison where time is compressed or extended… possibly both."

The Dark Lord looked carefully at Dumbledore and Snape as he asked, "Have you attempted to craft wands from the wooden spoons?"

"None of us are wand crafters," Severus replied, dismissing the idea completely.

"The hair of wizard makes for a weak wand in his own hand," Albus said, ignoring Snape.

Riddle grinned, "But with my hair in your wand, Snape's hair in my wand, and your hair in his wand…"

The headmaster pursed his lips as he considered the possibilities and then rose to seek a knife to slit open three wooden spoons.

"But what will we use to eat with?" Severus whined as the other two wizards set to work to contrive wands. The headmaster sacrificed a hair from his head as well as three long hairs from his beard to tie up each wooden spoon turned into a magical wand.

"These are carved from pine," Riddle said, holding up his new wand made from an old wooden spoon with the hair of wizard as the core and a whisker from Dumbledore's beard to tie up the spoon. He waved the wand about and there were a few sparks in the air.

"It will take forever to build up power in these wands," Severus complained as he swished his wand and a single spark flew out of the end.

Albus quietly cleared his mind before flicking his wooden spoon and creating a cascade of sparks. He felt his magic flare…

+)(*&^&*)(+

Dumbledore woke with a start – it had been a dream – nothing more. He didn't remember falling asleep but he reached for his wand just like any morning for as long as he could remember. Like the previous unknown thousands of mornings his wand was missing. The room was stone with a pair of wizard torches that never went out. The only furnishings were a padded chair, work table, two cots with pillows and blankets, and a self-cleaning chamber pot. Food and drink arrived twice each 'day' but there was no company, no sounds.

He'd lost track of time and when he thought back to his dream, he sighed with weariness; Tom Riddle joined the prison he shared with Severus Snape and for a moment, Albus felt hope with the wild notion of creating a magic wand from a wooden spoon and the hair of wizard. But it was all a dream… again.

Today, he would read from 'Hogwarts: A History'; a fanciful work of fiction being the edition from 2054; Luna Lovegood as headmistress was a notion lifted from someone else's nightmares. The expanded class offerings documented in the book meant too many wizards and witches learned to think for themselves.

And worst of all, his section in the biographies of past headmasters was too short – it listed his name and some of his accomplishments, his disappearance in 1994 at the hands of the Dark Lord and Death Eaters, and then documented all the changes that Headmistress McGonagall made after his departure. There was nothing in the book about Severus Snape beyond listing his name as head of Slytherin for twelve years; Dumbledore was careful not to look at the second cot in the room – the mummified remains of the young potions master lay there. If Albus didn't look at him, the body wasn't really there.

Late in the day, Albus stared at the chamber pot– every day at the same time it was cleaned with a powerful banishing spell. The wizard wondered if he turned the pot upside down on his head, would the spell banish him away.

' _I'll wait another day. Someone might come today,'_ he told himself.

+)(*&^&*)(+

Contents

Scene: Young Lord Black (June 2094) 1

Scene: Sirius and Dobby (October 1993) 3

Scene: Helping Harry (December 1993) 5

Scene: Capture Wormtail (December 1993) 8

Scene: Mourning Families (December 1993) 12

Scene: Sirius and Cornelius Fudge (December 1993) 21

Scene: Sirius and Dumbledore (May 1994) 26

Scene: Sirius and Weasleys (June 1994) 30

Scene: Disappearances (July 1994) 33

Scene: Fleamont and Portraits (June 2094) 47

Scene: Albus Dumbledore (October 2097) 49


End file.
